This weekend’s release of Baz Luhrmann’s film adaptation of “The Great Gatsby” comes with much anticipation and excitement. And why wouldn’t it? As an American classic that most of us read in high school or wrote college term papers about, “The Great Gatsby” is an established and well-known story. Just as with the Chronicles of Narnia, the Lord of the Rings, Pride and Prejudice, and countless other based-on-the-book movies, readers are always eager to experience familiar characters and adventures in a new way.

It’s no wonder so many movies these days are based on books. Books provide film makers with a wealth of well-developed story material. Plus, they come with a built-in audience; if a book already has a following of readers, you can count on most of those readers to turn into viewers. And because the story has already succeeded in another format, less risk is involved with producing a movie that’s based on a book.

So, what about your book? Would it make a great movie that people would love to see? Most of us have ideas we’d love to see on the silver screen, but few people ever take action to try to reach that goal. To be fair, getting your idea in front of movie makers can be an intimidating and competitive process. But if you’re serious about turning your book into a movie, WestBow Press offers several book-to-screen services to help you give it a real shot.

The first step is to transform your book into a format that Hollywood representatives deal with on a regular basis. With these services, our team can help you present the necessary materials to our first-look partner Thruline Entertainment:

Coverage: A professional reader will work to create your book’s coverage — a standard format in the industry that consists of a thorough synopsis and a critical analysis.

Treatment: A thoroughly developed guide that outlines how a screenwriter would adapt your book into a fully-developed screenplay.

Screenplay: A fully fleshed out script that television and movie producers can use as a means of evaluating if your book is something they want to produce.

Another option for WestBow Press authors is to pitch your idea in person at an upcoming PitchFest event. PitchFest streamlines the process of getting your idea heard by bringing movie-makers and storytellers together. Not only do participating authors receive personalized advice for refining their pitch, they have the chance to actually pitch their idea face-to-face with Hollywood executives.

The next PitchFest will take place in Los Angeles on July 12-13, 2013. Call your WestBow Press representative for more information about PitchFest or other Hollywood book-to-screen services.